FilmFanatic.org

Synopsis:
Jacques Cousteau and his crew explore the ocean on their diving ship, the Calypso.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• At Sea
• Documentary
• Explorers

Review:
Fans of underwater diving and sea life will be both shocked and disturbed to visit this Oscar-winning documentary by famed diver and explorer Jacques Cousteau (who based the film on his bestselling 1953 book The Silent World: A Story of Undersea Discovery and Adventure). Although he’s known as a pioneering marine conservationist (in 1973, he co-founded the Cousteau Society for the Protection of Ocean Life) this film demonstrates a horrifying level of disrespect towards marine animal life, with various sequences showing Cousteau and/or his crew “riding” on the backs of sea turtles trying to swim to the surface for air; attempting half-heartedly to harpoon a whale; viciously attacking a school of sharks simply because they “dare” to circle around a dead whale and eat its flesh; dynamiting a coral reef; and gleefully showing off a frightened puffer fish as it releases water.

With that said, those who are able to stomach these scenes of blatant violence should at least appreciate Cousteau’s groundbreaking work in the field of underwater cinematography. Assisted by a young Louis Malle, Cousteau captured haunting footage of life under water — the type of imagery we take for granted now, but which was remarkably innovative at the time. A sequence in which a crew member slowly swims through a sunken wreck is particularly haunting. In 1964, Cousteau directed and produced another Oscar-winning documentary, Le Monde Sans Soleil (“A World Without Sun”), which documented a team of divers living in an underwater research vessel; while it still shows evidence of laughable human hubris, it’s at least free from scenes of blatant disrespect towards sea life.

Note: It’s revealing that, upon its release in theaters, The New York Times praised The Silent World unreservedly, without mentioning any of the above “issues” — which says something profound about the era in which it was made.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Some truly beautiful early footage of underwater life
  
  
• The crew exploring an old wreck
  

Must See?
Yes, simply for its historical relevance — but be forewarned that you WILL be disturbed by much of what you see. It’s inexplicably labeled a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book (what was he thinking?).

Categories

• Historically Relevant
• Oscar Winner or Nominee

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Spinning Image Review
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
A man (George Segal) suffering from seizures which make him violent has a “helpful” microcomputer implanted his brain, with unexpectedly disastrous results.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Jill Clayburgh Films
• Joan Hackett Films
• George Segal Films
• Mind Control
• Psychopaths
• Science Fiction

Review:
This disappointing sci-fi “thriller” by director Mike Hodges (based on a novel by Michael Crichton) is, unfortunately, anything but thrilling. With its deathly slow pacing and overly clinical approach to the potentially volatile subject matter, we never become involved in the plight of any of the characters — least of all the central protagonist (though Segal, to his credit, tries his best in a sorely underdeveloped role). The first half of the film is devoted to introducing Segal’s dilemma, then showing — in painstaking detail — the “cutting-edge” surgery he willingly undergoes in hopes of regaining some semblance of a normal life. Once things go haywire and Segal begins to experience more violence-inducing seizures than ever, we follow him as he escapes and wreaks lethal havoc — against his own will — on several hapless victims. Visually, the film is quite stunning: the white-on-white sets are eerily futuristic, and there are several neatly filmed shots (such as a waterbed-turned-bloodbath). Overall, however, this tepid flick will be a disappointment for most viewers.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Effectively clinical set designs
  
• A powerfully dark premise
  

Must See?
No, unless you’re a Michael Crichton completist.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Moria Review
• DVD Savant Review
• SciFilm Review
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
An ex-con (Geraldine Chaplin) stalks a construction worker (Anthony Perkins) and his wife (Berry Berenson).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Alan Rudolph Films
• Anthony Perkins Films
• Ex-Cons
• Geraldine Chaplin Films
• Jeff Goldblum Films

Review:
Like his debut, Welcome to L.A. (1977), Alan Rudolph’s second feature received mostly negative reviews upon its release, but remains an interesting failure. It’s essentially a slow-motion “fatal attraction” thriller, with Chaplin’s ex-con making her presence only gradually known to Perkins and Berenson: she tears up flowers in their garden, lurks behind corners, and skulkily follows them around in her beat-up car; we’re kept in suspense about why she’s so intent on making life miserable for this particular couple. Meanwhile, we witness her sparking an uneasy romance with a black handyman (Moses Gunn) in her apartment, and getting a job as a cashier in a grocery store, where she must contend with the suspicious nature of both her boss (Jeff Goldblum) and her co-worker (Alfre Woodard). The overall effect — thanks largely to Chaplin’s focused, sympathetic performance — is mostly absorbing, despite an occasional tendency towards pretension (as when broadcasts about an Eastern European earthquake are shown endlessly on television, for no apparent reason). And it’s nice to see wiry Perkins — performing with his real-life wife, Berry Berenson — cast somewhat against type as the object of Chaplin’s vengeance; given his inevitable association with “Norman Bates”, we’re never quite sure exactly how violent or psychotic he may turn out to be. Unfortunately, despite all these positive elements, the film’s ending doesn’t make much sense, and peters out just when we expect to see things resolved; this is a rare film that should have gone on longer than its 94 minutes, simply to wrap up the loose threads that suddenly emerge. With that said, it’s still worth a look, primarily for Chaplin’s stand-out performance.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Geraldine Chaplin as Emily
  
• Anthony Perkins as Neil
  
• Fine supporting performances
  
• Tak Fujimoto’s cinematography
  
• Alberta Hunter’s blues score

Must See?
No, but it’s worth a look for both Chaplin and Perkins.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• SF Gate Review
• NY Times Original Review (spoiler alert)

Synopsis:
A marine biologist (George Rowe) in search of rare “flame pearls” travels to Tiburon Island, where he discovers mermaids; meanwhile, a ruthless gangster (Timothy Carey) and his Mexican shipmate (Jose Gonzales-Gonzales) pursue the pearls themselves.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• At Sea
• Fantasy
• Mermaids

Review:
The Mermaids of Tiburon — written and directed by underwater photographer John Lamb — is perhaps the only mermaid film (itself a limited sub-genre) to take place primarily off-land. Lamb does an admirable job evoking a naturalistic water environment for the gorgeous mermaids encountered by Rowe; it’s easy to believe that such a magical underwater haven — complete with luminous “flame pearls” nestled in gigantic clam shells — might actually exist. Unfortunately, the flimsy storyline about a competitive search for rare pearls (complete with a mano-a-mano fight between Rowe and Carey at the end) is cliched, badly acted, and best ignored altogether; it simply functions as a necessary framework for Lamb’s extensive mermaid footage. Meanwhile, the Cousteau-esque voiceover narration while Rowe is underwater is unintentionally humorous, and good for a few laughs — as when Rowe solemnly states, “The question occurred to me: just exactly how feminine was this mermaid?”, or notes to himself, “I was being drawn to this creature by something more than just a scientific interest.” (No kidding!)

Unfortunately, when Mermaids of Tiburon failed to generate much interest at the box office, Lamb decided to shoot additional footage of topless mermaids, re-releasing the film as The Aqua Sex; this later version — the one now widely available on DVD — is little more than shameless soft-core porn, with buxomy starlets swimming nearly naked (in seaweed “bikinis”), and green flippers substituted for mermaid tails Lamb apparently wanted viewers to have visual access to the women’s curvy behinds, but this decision ultimately makes them look more like swimming strippers than mermaids. If you do decide to seek out this camp classic, make sure to watch the original version, with playmate Diane Webber as Queen of the Mermaids — she’s infinitely more alluring in her bra-shells and mermaid tail than the topless woman replacing her in Lamb’s updated “audience pleasing” version.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Some beautiful imagery, both above and below water
  
  
  
• Richard LaSalle’s haunting score

Must See?
No, though you may be curious to check it out once. Listed as a Camp Classic in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Spinning Image Review
• All Movie Guide Review
• SciFilm Review

Synopsis:
A British agent (Michael Caine) is suspected by his boss (Donald Pleasence) of kidnapping his own son (Paul Moss), and must take matters into his own hands.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Delphine Seyrig Films
• Don Siegel Films
• Donald Pleasence Films
• Kidnapping
• Michael Caine Films
• Spies
• Vigilantes

Review:
Based on Clive Egleton’s novel Seven Days to a Killing, this British spy-cum-vigilante flick is a curiously dull disappointment. With director Don Siegel at the helm and Michael Caine in the leading role, one would expect both excitement and nuance — but the overly linear storyline fails to generate much tension, and Caine is a bit too icy cool as an agent who’s almost immediately suspected of playing a part in his own son’s kidnapping:

While we understand that Caine’s reserved attitude is scripted to arouse suspicion, he takes this guise too far, and loses our sympathy. Donald Pleasence fares better as Caine’s twitchy superior, who somehow seems to have it in for Caine (if only we better understood why). Meanwhile, John Vernon and Delphine Seyrig (as “Ceil Burrows” — great name) remain sadly underdeveloped villains. The dramatic climax, taking place in the title’s picturesque locale, unfortunately comes too late to redeem the rest of the lackluster script.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Donald Pleasence as Cedric Harper
  

Must See?
No, though Siegel completists will certainly want to take a look.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Roger Ebert’s Review
• The Stop Button Review

Synopsis:
Filmmakers from France, Italy, Germany, Poland, and Japan tell short stories about the joy and heartbreak of young love.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Episodic Films
• Eastern European Films
• Francois Truffaut Films
• French Films
• German Films
• Japanese Films
• Jean-Pierre Léaud Films
• Obsessive Love

Review:
Judging from the stories told in this little-seen international omnibus film, love as experienced by 20-year-olds tends to be obsessive, all-consuming, heartbreaking, and/or dangerous. In Francois Truffaut’s opening segment (“Antoine and Colette”, a.k.a. “Paris”), his alter ego Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Leaud) learns that attraction isn’t always reciprocated, but may lead to friendship. This delightful short story, the longest of the bunch, is an essential “adolescent” intermediary between the childhood tale of The 400 Blows (1959) and Doinel’s emergence as an adult in Stolen Kisses (1968). Unlike the other segments in the film, it’s now widely available as part of a box set of “Antoine Doinel” DVDs — and film fanatics won’t want to miss it.

Renzo Rossellini’s “Rome” — about a callow young man (Geronimo Meynier) whose older lover (Eleonora Rossi Drago) bitterly tries to warn her young rival (Cristina Gaioni) about Meynier’s “true nature” — is effectively filmed, but, as one of the shortest of the film’s six tales, ultimately doesn’t leave much of a lasting impression. Shintaro Ishihara’s equally short “Tokyo” packs much more of a punch: it’s a hauntingly shot vignette about a delusional factory worker (Koji Furuhata) whose obsessive love for a beautiful woman he walks by every day taps into his violent tendencies. Meanwhile, Marcel Ophuls’ “Munich” aims for more depth in its tale of a womanizing businessman (Christian Doermer) undergoing — perhaps — a change of heart when he visits a girl (Barbara Frey) who has just given birth to his son; it’s engaging, and hints at the potential for a longer film.

Andrzej Wajda’s “Warsaw” is my personal favorite of the collection. Featuring Zbigniew Cybulski (the bespectacled star of Wajda’s Ashes and Diamonds, 1958), it packs a punch from the opening sequence, as we watch a little girl who has fallen into a polar bear’s den at the zoo being rescued by a man (Cybulski) with seemingly limitless bravery. A beautiful blonde (Barbara Lass) — previously seen kissing her young lover (Wladyslaw Kowalski) — immediately shifts allegiances when her boyfriend simply takes a photo of the tragedy rather than jumping in to help; Lass invites Cybulski back to her home, and — in typical Eastern European cinematic fashion — the situation becomes increasingly absurd, until events erupt into a poignant meditation on post-traumatic stress and the callowness of youth.

Weaving the five vignettes together is an absorbing montage of stills (by Henri Cartier-Bresson) showing (real-life?) young lovers on the street, and the reactions of those around them; in the background, Xavier Depraz sings Georges Delerue’s “Love at Twenty” in multiple languages, reiterating the universality of young love. It’s too bad that the most recent attempt at such an international collection of thematic shorts — Paris, Je T’Aime (2006) — was largely disappointing, since this earlier effort (strangely unavailable on DVD as of yet) shows that omnibus films can be quite effective, given the right combination of talent. Perhaps part of the solution lies in limiting the number of stories (Paris, Je T’Aime had a whopping twenty), so that more depth is allowed in each tale.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Truffaut’s entire “Paris” story
  
• Wajda’s “Warsaw” segment
  
• Zbigniew Cybulski as “the hero” in “Warsaw”
  
• Shigeo Murata’s haunting cinematography in “Tokyo”
  
• Henri Cartier-Bresson’s inter-segment montage stills
  
  

Must See?
Yes, as a most enjoyable and insightful collection of short films.

Categories

• Foreign Gem

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• All Movie Guide Review

Synopsis:
When a delusional amnesiac (Boris Karloff) escapes from a sanitarium in search of an opera singer (Margaret Irving), Chinese detective Charlie Chan (Warner Oland) and his “number one son” (Keye Luke) are on the case.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Asian-Americans
• Boris Karloff Films
• Detectives and Private Eyes
• Murder Mystery
• Opera

Review:
As I wrote in my review of Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (1939), it’s a shame that Hollywood primarily cast white actors in the central role of this popular and long-running detective series (though it should be noted that Asian actors were originally tried, without box office success). Swedish actor Warner Oland was the original “white” Chan, appearing in no less than 16 films in the series before his untimely death from pneumonia in 1938. While Oland does a fine job, it’s much more refreshing (from an historical perspective) to see Chinese-American Keye Luke playing his Number One Son — and the presence of Boris Karloff in a meaty supporting role as a delusional former opera singer will surely be a delight for film fanatics. The story itself (about murder and jealousy among opera singers) is reasonably enjoyable, making good use of just a couple of settings — primarily an opera house during opening night of a new opera (written by Oscar Levant!). You’re sure to be kept guessing about the outcome, and will likely find yourself innocently entertained throughout.

Note: While it’s frustrating to see Chinese Americans portrayed in the Chan series as either benevolent or stereotypically eager-beaver, Charlie Chan and his son are at least a welcome alternative to the “yellow peril” posited in the notorious character of Fu Manchu; in addition, the screenwriters do a nice job presenting William Demarest’s skeptical, racist detective as a clueless dolt.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Boris Karloff as Gravelle
  
• Keye Luke as Lee Chan
  
• An innocuously fun yet challenging murder mystery
  

Must See?
Yes, simply to see the best of Oland’s Chan films.

Categories

• Representative Film

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Spinning Image Review

Synopsis:
Ralph the All-Purpose-Animal (Lorenzo Music) and his sidekick, Mum, are tricked by evil Synonamess Botch (Marshall Efron) — ruler of Murkworks Nightmare Factory — into releasing the “Magic Mainspring” from a “Cosmic Clock” of time, thus freezing activity in the human world of Din. They join forces with an inept superhero named Rod Rescueman (James Cranna) to free Greensleeves (Hamilton Camp) — the ruler of Frivoli, Home of Sweet Dreams — from Botch’s clutches, and prevent Botch from unleashing a torrent of nightmares on Din.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Animated Features
• Fantasy
• John Korty Films
• Superheroes

Review:
This little-seen animated fantasy (produced by George Lucas, and co-directed by John Korty) features a unique form of animation known as “Lumage”, in which cut-out pieces of plastic and fabric are illuminated by light tables and combined with live-action stills and footage to create an effect much like that in Terry Gilliam’s animation, or found in the television series “South Park”. The overall result is both stunning and consistently innovative, helping to make up for the film’s supremely dated ’80s soundtrack (you’ll want to plug your ears) and rather labyrinthine storyline. Indeed, you’ll probably need more than one viewing to understand exactly who all the characters are in Twice Upon a Time, how they’re related, and what they’re up to — but you won’t mind rewinding, since the visuals are unique enough to merit another look.

In a creatively surreal twist, the main character (Lorenzo Music, best known as the voice of Garfield) is capable of changing animal-shapes as needed to best suit his situation (his “default” mode is an innocuously bearish-looking fellow); meanwhile, his black-hatted sidekick Mum — true to his name — never says a word, instead simply conducting a steady stream of magic tricks (they’re like a less abrasive, vertically altered version of Penn and Teller). These two hapless but well-meaning souls are thrown willy-nilly into a plot in which a motley crew of would-be heroes and superheroes must save the world from eternal nightmares — with the wry “assistance” of a hilariously no-holds-barred New York Fairy Godmother (“Call me FGM; I hate excess verbiage.”).

Despite its overt fairytale leanings, however, this one isn’t necessarily for kids — at least not the version I saw, which is full of surprisingly salty profanity (at one point Botch yells, “So come on, you garlic breathing, garbage sucking dipshits. Move out! I’m not talking tomorrow! Haul ass, you mothers!”) Apparently an alternate, sanitized version was also released, but regardless of which version you locate, the story itself may still be too scary and baroque for kids to fully “get”; it’s ultimately more for adults or adolescents. Read Ward Jenkins’ interview with writer Taylor Jessen for many more details about the making of the film, as well as all the various and sundry reasons for its failure to be released on DVD. For now, you’ll have to catch a rare copy on video or try to search for a streamed version online.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Impressive, highly creative “Lumage” animation
  
  
• Enjoyably irreverent characterizations
  
• Rod Rescueman’s botched “superhero test” with the Fairy Godmother
  
• The “office nightmare” sequence
  

Must See?
Yes, as an historically important animated film. Listed as a Sleeper in the back of Peary’s book – for good reason!

Categories

• Historically Relevant

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Movie Magazine International Review
• Interview with writer Taylor Jessen

Synopsis:
A group of pilgrims travel to Canterbury, telling various bawdy tales along the way.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Black Comedy
• Episodic Films<
• Historical Drama
• Hugh Griffith Films
• Pier Paolo Pasolini Films

Review:
Pier Paolo Pasolini’s follow-up to his delightfully irreverent adaptation of Boccaccio’s The Decameron (1971) was this disappointing take on Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Casting many of the same actors, and utilizing authentic-looking costumes, sets, and props, Pasolini once again excels at viscerally evoking the grime and vibrancy of medieval Europe — but the same can’t be said for his storytelling abilities. Pasolini only loosely follows Chaucer’s actual text — indeed, it’s frustratingly difficult to figure out exactly who’s who, or which particular tales are being told; instead, he selectively draws from the book’s characters and situations in order to depict his own uniquely bawdy vision of hypocrisy, sexuality, and religion during the Middle Ages.

The opening story (“The Merchant’s Tale”), about a lecherous merchant named Sir January (Hugh Griffith) whose beautiful new wife, May (Josephine Chaplin), cuckolds him while he’s under a spell of blindness, is only mildly amusing, but at least promises more of the same type of naughty tales we saw in The Decameron.

The next vignette takes on a much darker tone, as we watch two different men — one wealthy, one poor — being spied on while committing the heretical act of “buggering”, then blackmailed.

The gruesome outcome poignantly points out the hypocrisy of medieval “pardoning”. The rest of the film, unfortunately, quickly goes downhill, as tale after tale fails to provide either much humor or insight. We’re exposed to plenty of explicit sex and genitalia, several explosive farts, and — in Pasolini’s infamous vision of hell near the end of the film — a red-skinned devil literally defecating friars.

Those who enjoy such coarse imagery will be delighted, but the rest of us will simply suffer.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Fine historical costumes, sets, and production design
  
  
• The second tale, about the gruesome hypocrisy of “pardoning”
  

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a look simply as the second in Pasolini’s famed “Trilogy of Life” (followed in 1974 with Arabian Nights). Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Eye For Film Review
• TV Guide Review
• Time Out Capsule Review